Banished or Promoted?
by Charged Lightning
Summary: Arthur is attacked by a sorcerer out for revenge, and Merlin saves the day. Only, this time, Arthur sees it. Furious, Arthur banishes him. But then Guinevere and Sir Gwaine seem to be up to something… Crack. One shot.


A/N This is something I wrote a while ago but for some reason, never posted. I thought I'd post it now. It's set after season 4.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Merlin_

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They were battling the sorcerer in the throne room. He had mysteriously barged in, demanding revenge on Arthur for years of killing his kind. Arthur briefly wondered what on earth the guards were exactly doing when things like this happened. He and the knights were fighting off the sorcerer, with their years of experience, which, if Arthur had to admit, seemed to mostly include dodging and watching as bits of ceiling fell on the sorcerer, or random pieces of wood flew into him. Unfortunately, Gwen had managed to get caught up in it, too, and she was out and about, swinging a sword wildly and dodging. He had to admit, she wasn't all that bad. And she was better than Merlin, who was currently playing hide-and-seek behind the two thrones.

Just then, the sorcerer nailed Leon, who crumpled back like the rest of his knights had. That meant he was dead. Arthur felt a pang in his chest at losing one of his most trusted knights. Currently, Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival were the only knights surviving.

The sorcerer rounded on Arthur, and began to shout a spell. Suddenly, Merlin darted out from behind the throne. "No!" he yelled, and the sorcerer was thrown backwards. Arthur stared in shock as Merlin's eyes faded from gold to blue.

The sorcerer stirred, and glared at Merlin. He raised his hand and began to chant, but suddenly Merlin thrust both of his hands out and a jet of fire streamed from them.

The sorcerer screamed and screamed as the fire consumed him. Finally, with a last surge of flames, he burst into pieces and faded into oblivion.

Arthur turned, horrified at what his manservant had just done. To think… all these years… a sorcerer had managed to weasel his way into the court.

"You…" he took a step forward, menacingly. "Have betrayed me."

Merlin looked hurt. "No, Arthur, I would never-"

"Silence!" Arthur demanded. "I will not tolerate your presence any longer."

Merlin was terrified. "No! Arthur! Listen to me!" he pleaded.

"I have no need to listen to a _sorcerer_," the king spat. "You should be sentenced to death, do you know that?"

"No, Arthur! You can't do that! You don't know how much I've sacrificed for you!" Merlin begged. "Arthur, you wouldn't."

Arthur softened. "You're right. I wouldn't." He paced in a circle, and his expression hardened once again. "Which is why I'm banishing you. You may never return to Camelot, on pain of death." Just then, Arthur heard a shuffling of feet behind him, and he briefly heard Gwen and Gwaine's voices.

"Arthur-"

"Don't," he snapped. "I never want to see you again. You must leave immediately."

"Arthur-"

"GET OUT!" Arthur screamed.

Merlin jumped, then nodded hurriedly before scrambling out the door.

Angry, Arthur turned around to face Guinevere, glad that she would at least be able to offer him some comfort. He found her… spreading a banner out on the ground.

"What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered.

She smiled. "I'm making a 'Welcome Home' banner."

Arthur gawked at her, and she continued to smile innocently.

"Why?" he asked, not entirely sure if he wanted to know the answer.

She frowned. "Isn't it obvious?"

Arthur shook his head. No, it wasn't obvious.

Just then, Gwaine came back in the room, carrying a bucket of brushes and paint, two hammers, some nails, and some string. "Found some!" he exclaimed.

Delighted, Gwen took the paint and brushes from his hands.

"Who is that for?" Arthur demanded.

Gwen shrugged. She dipped a large brush into the red paint, and painted the word 'Welcome.'

"I wasn't aware that anyone was missing," Arthur spoke as she painted the word 'Home.'

Then she dipped her brush again, and painted a comma.

He waited in anticipation as she painted a 'C.' Then an 'o.' Eventually, the word spelled 'Court.'

"Guinevere, the entire court is still here. No one is missing."

She frowned, then dipped her brush again. This time, she painted the letter 'S.' Then she painted an 'o.' Then an 'r.' Arthur watched in horror as she spelled the word 'Sorcerer.'

'Guinevere, I think that the shock of what's just happened has affected you, because we most definitely do not have a Court Sorcerer."

"Would you like to help me hang it up?" she asked Gwaine.

The knight smiled. "Certainly."

Arthur watched in confusion as each of them took a hammer and began to pound nails partially into the wall. Then they both took separate ends of the banner and used the string to tie it to the nails.

"Guinevere, Gwaine," Arthur began. "We do not have a Court Sorcerer-"

"Oh, but you will," Gwen cut in.

Arthur was taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

"Once Merlin returns, you'll promote him. Since he has magic, Court Sorcerer seems like the most likely appointment," Gwen said, smiling.

Arthur stared at them in shock. "Merlin is not going to return! I banished him! On pain of death!"

"Both of us were banished from Camelot, too, Arthur. On pain of death," Gwaine stated.

Arthur scowled.

"And we were both, sequentially, promoted." Gwen smiled innocently.

Arthur stomped his feet.

Percival was quietly watching in the corner, amused. Both Gwen and Gwaine had very good points, but he didn't want his old friend to be forgotten about. "And so was Lancelot."

Arthur whirled around. Lancelot. The one time the ever-silent knight spoke up, it just had to be about Lancelot.

"Arthur, I honestly don't know why you'd want to banish him. He saved your life," Gwaine pleaded.

"He's a sorcerer! He obviously wants to destroy Camelot! He's evil!" Gwaine and Gwen were staring at him, eyebrows raised. "He let Leon die!"

"The last time I checked, I was very much alive." Arthur whipped around to see Leon, standing there next to Percival and Elyan.

Arthur looked like he had seen a ghost.

Just then, the door to the throne room burst open, and Morgana strode in, smirking. "Well, dear brother, how nice to see you again."

Arthur glowered.

"You know, I'm really going to enjoy killing you, Arthur Pendragon. And this time, I might actually succeed, considering I don't see your pesky manservant anywhere."

Arthur blinked in confusion. "What?"

She laughed bitterly. "Oh, didn't you know? He was the one who thwarted all my plans." She sauntered towards him. In fake apology, she asked, "But you didn't know, did you?" She smirked. "This is going to be fun."

Suddenly, she was whisked into the air and smashed into the window. She crashed straight through it, screaming. Arthur darted over to see the witch falling, and then suddenly disappear.

Arthur whipped around to see the knights and Gwen all beaming. Then he saw Merlin, standing in the doorway.

"Merlin!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry, sire!" he shouted back. Then he scrambled away.

Arthur sighed. Gwen and Gwaine had made it obvious that there was only one thing he could do. "Merlin, get back here! I need to promote you!"

Merlin stopped, then turned around, overjoyed.

"He didn't even get to leave the lower town!" Gwaine shouted. Then everyone started cheering.

Annoyed, Arthur continued. "Don't look so happy. You're still an idiot. But… it appears you have saved my life several times. So, with that, I am awarding you the position of Court Sorcerer."

Merlin ran forward and gave Arthur a hug.

"Merlin!" the king shouted. To be honest, he wasn't thrilled. He had just appointed a sorcerer to a high position in the court. But, he did seem to owe Merlin something. And Merlin was apparently a good sorcerer, right?

Then his eyes settled on the dead bodies of his former knights. "Merlin," he began cautiously. The new Court Sorcerer backed away. "If you truly aren't evil, why did you let so many of my knights die?"

Merlin tilted his head, questioningly. "I'm sorry, sire?"

Arthur was worried now. Did Merlin not feel the need to save them? "Merlin, you could have saved them, and you didn't. Isn't that a bit… heartless?"

Merlin frowned. He had a completely puzzled expression on his face.

Frustrated, Arthur turned around to see what Gwen thought. Surely, she would understand… She had the same puzzled expression on her face, as did the knights.

"Doesn't anyone agree with me?" Arthur asked, exasperated.

Gwen spoke. "Arthur, we're just not sure… why it would matter."

Arthur's jaw dropped. "And why is that? He's a sorcerer. We need to make sure he truly is good, and is not corrupted."

Everyone looked extremely confused.

Elyan spoke. "I hate to inform you, sire, but you probably should have done that before you appointed him."

Arthur scowled. "He let them die! Don't you see that?"

"We do," Elyan continued. "But we don't see why it is a problem. He was obviously protecting his secret."

Arthur's anger boiled. "And that's alright? For him to let people die just to protect his secret?"

"Arthur," Gwen pleaded. "It's alright. Personally, I didn't even know their names."

Arthur stared at her in disbelief.

"And to be honest, sire," Leon cut in, "I'm not sure I did either."

Arthur blinked. What was their problem? And surely they knew their names! The one lying in the right corner was… was…

"That doesn't matter! He still let people die!"

"I could take them to the Isle of the Blessed and revive them if you'd like," Merlin said casually. "I'd need to find a few High Priestesses to blow up…"

Arthur stared at Merlin. "No!"

"Then I suggest you stop worrying about it," Gwaine said. "How about conjuring up some ale, then, mate? At least for the rest of us. I know you never go to the tavern."

Arthur stared in shock as Merlin grinned and let his eyes glow gold, and six mugs floated in the air. The knights and queen cheered and each took one from the air. Arthur glared as the one remaining floated in front of his face. How could they simply celebrate? He was trying to make sure that his new court sorcerer was on his side.

"Relax, Arthur," said Gwaine. "Even though Merlin doesn't go to the tavern, I know you do. So take a drink."

Then it hit him. "Merlin doesn't go to the tavern?"

The knights glanced around at each other, then shook their heads.

Arthur whirled around on Merlin. "Then where are you?"

Merlin shrugged. "I'm right here."

Arthur stomped. "Where are you when Gaius says you are in the tavern?"

"Oh, then. Usually, I'm on a secret mission to save the kingdom with magic."

Arthur stopped. "Oh." Well, that did prove that he was on their side, although he was still quite nervous about the whole thing.

"Relax, Arthur," he heard Gwen say. "I'm sure that Merlin has only used his magic for good."

That calmed Arthur. Her voice always did. He glanced around at her and the knights, who seemed to be having a good time.

"So, Merlin," he asked, more relaxed. He even took the mug in front of him. "What exactly do you do during those times?"

Merlin grinned. "Mostly, I'm in a disguise."

Now that was intriguing. "What sort of disguise?"

"I disguise myself as an old man."

Arthur laughed. "I'd like to see that one day."

"Actually, you already have. I'm Dragoon."

Arthur froze, then looked at Merlin. His expression was completely serious. He then looked around at everyone else, who was staring at the Court Sorcerer, intrigued. Suddenly, Arthur dropped his mug, and it shattered. All eyes turned toward him as he blacked out and fell over backwards, unconscious.

Everyone turned towards Merlin, who shrugged. Then, amused, they all continued on, laughing and congratulating the new Court Sorcerer on his position.


End file.
